Mazer Rackham

We see this every week from most clubs and the supporters yell out "Just kick the bl00dy thing!!!!" like we used to see them do in the 60s 70s and 80s. The modern thinking is, while we have the ball in our hands, even if heavily pressured, we can still work our system and have a chance to get it out to our guys, in position, and work it downfield. If not, fall on the ball and create a stoppage so we can get everyone in position. But if we kick it somewhere, anywhere, it could (a) gift them a goal, (b) lead to a contest where they end up getting with their hands on it, near their goal, or © lead to a contest where we get it, possibly with everyone out of position. Or (d), we get it in space and work it downfield. The odds aren't appealing. That's why they do it. Possession game. While we've got the ball, they haven't.

Sadly, it is no longer possible to deny this. At C'wood, he could kick it and find a teammate. Here, the teammates he manages to find are the ones who are about to get clobbered. At C'wood he was able to find space. Here, there is no space, for anyone, because all the oppo know that we only play decent footy when we get some space. So they crowd us.

Can he bring his "supplements" with him?

Holy [censored] that was awful. And thanks for the tease of what you can do when you feel like it.

Did you go back to the ground??

Sure it was him? Maybe he and Dawes swapped jumpers.

we've had so many potential turning points this year, they'll invent a new polygon for us.

And while we're bagging out things ... "This reply has not been added as it has been posted too quickly" A big F*** Y** to this forum's software.

We played that quarter ...... LIKE DEMONS. What a refreshing surprise!

The umpiring is garbage in EVERY match. Not just ours. Wayne Campbell ... have you read the rule book?

We'll get to within 12 before they kick away again. Brave defeat.

Ump had to look up the latest interpretation of the rule. By the time he finished, the moment had passed.

Dawes???? This is our day!!!

There's plenty of time if they're good enough! (said in Jack Dyer voice)

So we can lose by 100+ each week because we have little but pride to gain? I envisaged something similar to last week. Would have kept the pitchfork in the shed if so.

But we keep doing it. The only game Essendon have won in their last 11 is against us. That was the most unwatchable ugly game of footy I have seen. And now we serve up this Auskick training video ("How not to ...")

Now's not the best time to say it but the umpiring is sh!t is every match. It is (or should be) a scandal that the umpiring panel will not direct the umps to referee the game according to the written rules.

by half time???

But did Dyson Heppel's negative metres gained set up his teammates for compelling attacks? If they did, maybe they were beneficial to his team. All these new stats, like "percentage of scores from inside fifties that result from a drive from half back caused by a turnover after a hard ball get when the roof is closed" .... sounds like farnarkling. Check how many times commentators in print and on radio/TV quote them. Do they really mean much? I would love to know what stats the experts (as in the coaching panels) actually look at to know how their team is travelling.

As long as he sells papers, he's safe. Even prized. The bottom line trumps all at News Corp. An ethics-free zone.

Essendon. The whole club is like a protected species. The MMM after-match commentary had the supporters phoning in tearing strips off Tird and the club while the hosts [censored]-footed around the issue of this malfunctioning team. I don't recall them being so generous when we have been thrashed, or Carlton, or Brisbane, or any other club going through a bad patch. Carlton are the most recent and didn't they just rip in at the scent of blood?

Dyson Heydon. The building unions. VCAT. The yuan. El nino. Donald Trump. Greece. Drones. Plenty to go in this soap opera. It's like a good wine. Just improves with age.

I believe that they knew there was monkey business going on. They didn't even tell their managers! It's united we stand, divided we fall and they all know it. How else to explain their meek acquiescence to all this skullduggery when they should be charging into the board rooms and the court rooms to find out what the **** Dr Mengeles did to them.

I notice Watson and Johnson aren't travelling too well right now. HMMMMMMMMMMM.

I was concerned when I heard that our players were on a paleo diet. Because of the low carbs. Wondered if they would be able to play out matches with full intensity. Tennis players deliberately load up on carbs and laugh if they see their opponent sneaking a bar of chocolate for a sugar boost. And we have had some fadeouts. Coincidence? Maybe. But maybe this paleo thing needs reviewing at end of season.